PLANS to get all pupils back to school in September are underway, announced education secretary Gavin Williamson.

At a Downing Street briefing this evening, Thursday, it was confirmed that from September, school curriculums in England will up and running, with exams due to take place as normal in the 2021 summer term.

This means attendance for all pupils will be mandatory.

Gavin Williamson said: "Getting our children back to school is a vital part of our national recovery. 

"More and more parents are being reassured by the measures we are taking to keep their children safe. 

"As of this week there are more than 1.6 million children back in our schools. 

"If you are one of these parents, I would like to say thank you for putting your trust in us."

Since June 1, pupils in nursery, reception, year one and year six have been returning to school in small ‘bubbles’.

Schools in England have now been told to keep children in bigger class or year-sized 'bubbles' when all pupils return later this year.

From the start of the autumn term, all schools and colleges will also have Covid-19 testing kits on hand for those unable to get to a testing centre.